Venetian blind



May 9, 1961 D. J. CROXEN VENETIAN BLIND Filed May 8, 1958 INVENTOR. Donald J. Croxen Attorney United S te VENETIAN BLIND Donald J. Croxen, 15608 Florwo'od Ave., Lawndale, Calif. Filed May s, 1958, Ser. No. 133,935

' zjon 'msi (or. 160-174 This invention has to do with Venetian blinds and particularly with Venetian blinds in which the individual slats are S-shaped in cross section. 5. r 5

"Venetian blinds having s-shaped s'latsj have certain advantages over those of other shapes. However, a disadvantage of this type of blind has been that heretofore, as conventionally made, it is not completely closable to provide a substantially light-tight screen for the window Where this is either required or desired.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel con struction for Venetian blinds having S-shaped slats which permits the blind to be completely closed and thereby afiord a substantially light-tight barrier at the window.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein the individual slats are shaped and recessed in a manner to accommodate the lift cord and the suspension tapes when the slats are tilted toclosed' position, whereby the slats may be fully closed.

Still another object is to provide a construction of the type indicated which incorporates integral reinforcing means in the region of the recessed portions of the slats.

Another object is to provide a blind construction of the type indicated in which the individual slats can be readily fabricated.

A further object is to provide a construction of reinforcement suitable for various types of slats.

their upper end to rotatable members carried on a shaft 21 in the valance box. customarily operating cords are provided for tilting the slats by manipulation ofthe supporting tapes. However, these have not been shown and in this connection it should'be noted that such operating cords would be positioned on .the room or inside of the blind assembly, and that in Figs. 1 and 2 the views show the outer side of the assembly.

- The'blind assembly is also customarily provided with lift cords 22 which pass over pulleys or sheaves (not shown) in the valance box. These cords pass through somewhat elongated openings 23 in theindividual slats substantially larger than the diameterof the cord and are. fastened to, a conventional bottom member .(not

shown beneath the lowest slat.

For the-purposeIofpennitting the. slats to l a completely 'closedposition wherebythe slats; engage A still further object is to provide a novel means incorporated in Venetian blind slats for causing the same to releasedly engage each other in fully tilted position.

These and other objects willbe apparent fromthe "1K5 drawing and the following description. Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of the outer side and one end of a Venetian blind assembly embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of three of the slats and the two lift cords;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view on line 3+3 of Fig. l; i V

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view in; the same plane as the slats in closed'positio'n and the supporting tapes omitted; U I

Fig. 5 is a'fragrnentary sectional plan view on line Fig. 6 is sectional view on line 6- -6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar'to Fig. 5 but showing a modified form of the invention. 2 i

Moreparticularly describing theinvention, numeral 11 designates a valance box oizthe like which is adapted to be mounted in a building adjacent the upper margin of a window, the box beingshown as having end members extending" therebetween. The latter are usually staggered so that alternate ones are on opposite sides of the lifting cords. The supporting tapes are each attached at each other, I provide each slat with a cord-receiving 'recess 25 in the convex portion of its upper surface between the edge of the slat and each opening 23. Also, each slat is provided with a recess 26 in the convex portion of its under surface adjacent each opening 23 and extending therefrom to a recessed edge portion 27 at the outer edge of the slat. The recesses 25 and 26 are sufllciently deep to receive the lift cordsa Thus, with this construction, when the individual slats are tilted, as

shown in Fig. 4, the lift cords are accommodated in the recesses 25 and 26 and consequently the slats can tilt sufficiently to engage each other in theregions 28 adjacent their margins to thereby provide a substantially light-tight closure. Preferably, the supporting tapes on the inner or room side of the bland are pre-shrunk to insure full closure of the blind.

One feature of my invention is the provision of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs 30 in the region of the recesses 26 and a reinforcing rib 31 along the outer margin of'the slat across each recess 25. These ribs are stamped or otherwise formed directly from the material by shaping it to the, configuration best shown in Figs. 2, 5, and 6,. I contemplate'that such reinforcing ribs can be utilized in- ,other. slats, that is, slats whichdo not embody the recesses 26 and 27 and which may be of other cross-sectional shapes. 2

Another feature is the provision of the recessed edge portions 27 at the outer {edges of the slats; These acconnnodate the outer supporting tapes 16 as well as the ladder or cross'tapes when the blinds are tilted upwardly to closed position as shown in Fig. 4. However, if de sired, the recesses needonly be deep enough to accoinmodate the ladder tapes.

In place of the recessededge construction 27 I may provide merely a pair of T-slots 35 in each slat .15'.ad-, 'jacent the edge of the .slat'through which the ladder straps are 2 threaded With. this "construction, the. slats can also betiltedto a'completelygclosed position In this connectionlit should be noted that although two T-slots are shown'at, each location, this is for convenience of manufacture and assembly. The reason forthis is that conventional blinds onlyhave one "ladder tape atieach location, but the tapes are usually alternately staggered on opposite sides'of the lift cord... Unless two T -slots are provided at each location it would be necessary to stagger i the T-slots in alternate slats, except, of course, in such blinds as provide; ladder strapsaon one sideonly of the lift cor Patented May 9, 1961 n t to;

V ate thattheblindslatsniaylbemade of, or embody" a magnetic material which-is so' magnetize'd that, when theslats aretiltedto closedYposition, the da'teral margins of adjacentslots'will 'be magnetically V attra'cted'to each'other thereby providing areleasable 2. means tor-holding the slats in engagementfin the fully...

tilted or closed position. Thus the lateral margins of the slats, or at least portions thereof should have a magnetic polarity opposite to each other. This feature, of course, is applicable to blinds of various cross-sectional shapes.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred forms of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A Venetian blind assembly, comprising a supporting structure, slat-supporting means depending from said structure, a plurality of slats carried in vertically spaced relation on said slat-supporting means, and means for adjusting said slat-supporting means to vary the angle of disposition of the slats, said slats embodying magnetic material and being magnetized in a manner such that adjacent lateral margins of said slats are magnetically attracted to each other when the slats are tilted to a closed position whereby said slats releasably engage each other when so tilted.

2. In a Venetian blind assembly, a plurality of laterally spaced blind slats, and means for supporting said slats and adjustably pivoting them about individual axes, said slats being formed in part at least of magnetic material and being magnetized in a manner such that adjacent lateral margins of said slats are magnetically attracted to each other when the slats are pivoted to a closed position whereby said slats releasably engage each other when so pivoted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,254,705 Morse Sept. 1, 1941 2,570,018 Williamson Oct. 2, 1951 2,573,700 Ferguson et al Nov. 6, 1951 2,646,115 Bucher et al. July 21, 1953 2,690,215 Croxen Sept. 28, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 59,016 Austria May 10, 1933 786,989 Great Britain Nov. 27, 1957 

